Guiding Service

My guiding services are now available to assist fly fishermen on both game and coarse rivers. I'd be happy to advise and arrange your special day anywhere from one of Derbyshires finest trout and grayling rivers to your own local coarse river. Email Mick Martin for details and options. Please copy and paste into your own email info@rivererewashfoundation.co.uk











Thursday 15 October 2009

Dovedale Duo

I took 2 river virgins out for their first fly flyfishing experience yesterday, they both had some stillwater experience but neither had ventured into the flow of a river. I decided they should learn some dry fly fishing 1st, and depending how they coped we could attempt small nymphs on the duo later in the day. Her Majesty was running low and looking very clear so the first lesson was gonna be stealth. Crossing the bridge from the car park we noticed some small rises and there was some LDO's coming off in numbers and being easy to spot I tried Jim and Tim with a few matching patterns, getting little success before the stones.



Reaching the nursery pool the usual suspects were rising enough for me to show off a little casting under the trees. I connected with a nice fish before pulling out of it although I think it was a trout. We quickly moved on and soon started connecting with a few fish and Jim wrestled with a nice grayling but played it a little hard for a fish of that size but you have too develop a feel for the fish in a river, as well as finding the boundaries of playing a fish. I decided to have alittle play myself but kept hitting little brownies, no surprises there as Dovedale isn't famous for holding huge numbers of ladies, just great big ones. Once both had caught and they they showed enough river craft to warrant a visit on their own in the future we starting considering lunch. We spotted a few needle flies, in fact they were all over our faces, so I suggested Tim trying my matching fly before tea break as i could see grayling rising upstream of him. I did suggest I would kiss Tim's butt if he doesn't get an offer which brought about a laugh before being quickly followed by a lovely grayling to both of their surprise, Tim's pictured below playing the fish, no doubt he was now well and truly hooked. Both were spurred on by the large lady and encouraged to fish a little further improving quickly while catching a few trout before we all sat on a log for lunch.



Deciding they had the basic idea of dry fly fishing I suggested fishing the duo for the afternoon, so we all set up before setting off upstream again. I decided to fish a little more myself and caught 2 grayling and 2 trout on the duo, all taken on the nymph as usual, confirming that the duo would be effective for both of them. Obviously both began loosing a few more flies but they picked up the idea and caught a few fish between them. Unfortunately I put Jim on a 2lb+ grayling which was happy to oblige us but too much for a newbie to handle and after all Rome wasn't built in a day.


I suspect to say both chaps were pleased would be an understatement especially as they did well first time out, gaining experience of trout and grayling while fishing 2 methods, in fact I'd bet money Tim's still smelling the ladies on his fingers today, reminiscing his fantastic trip to the Dove, after all, we anglers know you can't beat the smell of grayling on your hands first thing in the morning, something you never forget. In my experience of fly fishing when you make a friend its one for life, and a special bond for the long haul, I expect I'll be fishing with these 2 again before too long.

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